Yes on Measure R

Measure R is a reasonable measure that will enable necessary repairs for our schools. Thirty years have passed and Oak Park is the only unified school district in Ventura County that has not passed a facilities bond for repairs. Every other district has passed one.

There are old buildings that require maintenance and repair. The only way to make these repairs is with a bond. The good news is even with Measure R, our taxes are going down. The projects that would be covered with Measure R were determined by an independent consulting firm. The projects and the spending will be subject to strict local oversight. This is a responsible bond and a responsible direction for Oak Park.

Rates are dropping, schools need repairs and education is critical to our future. Support your community and our future.

Vote yes on Measure R. Barbara Schwartz Oak Park

The reason we moved to Oak Park when we were relocating from New Jersey is because of its schools.

As a parent of a fifth-grader and an incoming kindergartner in Oak Hills Elementary, I am very proud of our Oak Park schools. They provide an exceptional education for our kids. The environment provided in our schools is the reason the children are thriving.

Oak Park student performance levels are the highest in Ventura County and among the best in the state and nation. While our students and teachers are performing at a superior level, local school buildings and classrooms are aging. Basic repairs and upgrades are necessary to meet current safety, health and seismic standards.

As a parent I am concerned about the safety issue and the lack of funds for the repair of our school. These repairs and renovations are necessities, not wishful extravagances.

I believe we should strongly support our school district and our community and vote yes on Measure R. Sunanda Dugar Oak Park

Measure R is a cause that benefits children, which usually brings a community together, yet this particular bond measure has been wrought with misinformation, unrelated issues and in some instances it has become a little personal.

Regardless about how someone may feel about the maintenance of the schools, students who live outside of Oak Park, the district's administration or the merits of an additional tax, in the end it comes down to a single issue: How would we have wanted our parents to vote on this issue and how should we vote with our children in mind.

This measure is about helping a district turn a pile of old bricks with teachers, desks and computers back into a mystical place of wonderment and excitement, into a school district that is similar to the one that we experienced when we went to school.

I have always heard the saying, "Leave the world a better place than you found it."

Isn't that what this is really all about? Barry Myerson Oak Park